Corey Abbott

Playoff Preview

Eastern Playoff Preview

The final playoff representatives of the Eastern Conference were decided in the last week of the regular season when the Florida Panthers and Washington Capitals outlasted the second-half surge of the Buffalo Sabres, while dropping the Ottawa Senators to the eighth seed in the process.

Of the top eight teams in the East, two teams in particular are major surprises. The Panthers haven't been the in post-season since 2000 and they captured their first Southeast Division title in franchise history in 2011-12. General Manager Dale Tallon and coach Kevin Dineen deserve major kudos for turning the franchise around. The other shocker in the East is the upstart Ottawa Senators, who were also projected to occupy the bottom of the barrel in the NHL standings this year, but enjoyed an excellent year under new bench boss Paul MacLean and ended up with the final spot in the playoffs.

The Senators will face the Eastern Conference champion New York Rangers in the opening round, while the Southeast Division winning Panthers will host the New Jersey Devils. The Boston Bruins will kick off the defense of their Stanley Cup championship against the Washington Capitals in another quarter-final match-up, but the featured series of the first round in the East will see Atlantic Division rivals the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers square off in what should be a bitter and very physical string of contests.

The Rangers were in position to claim the Presidents’ Trophy and home ice advantage throughout the playoffs, had they won their last regular season contest, but they dropped a 4-1 decision to the Capitals to record their third defeat in four matches to end the 2011-12 campaign. The Ottawa Senators, despite being a surprise success this year, also backed their way into the post-season with three straight defeats. Ottawa took three out of four games, head-to-head, against New York this year, which will probably give them some confidence going into game one.

The Senators also have some fire power with the likes of Jason Spezza, Daniel Alfredsson, Milan Michalek and Erik Karlsson in the fold, which gives them an edge over the Rangers' top group of Brad Richards, Marian Gaborik and Ryan Callahan. However, the Blueshirts play a much more defensively sound game led by Vezina Trophy favourite Henrik Lundqvist between the pipes. They finished the year ranked fourth in the league in blocked shots (1338) and have the most among any team competing in the playoffs. In addition to that, the Rangers play a physically imposing style that should force the Senators into mistakes. New York should emerge victorious in six games.

Even though lineups are subject to change on a game-to-game and shift-to-shift basis, below you'll find the projected starting combinations for each team.

Marian Gaborik was held pointless in his last two games, but before that he recorded six goals and added four assists during a six-game scoring streak. Brad Richards has contributed nine points in his past eight contests. Rugged forward Brian Boyle will also enter the post-season on a high note with five markers and two helpers over his last nine contests. Brandon Dubinsky has had a difficult time generating offense all year, but he started to develop a bit of a rhythm down the stretch with eight points in his final 11 appearances of the regular season.

WHO'S NOT

Rangers captain Ryan Callahan has tallied two goals and one assist in his past nine matches, while Derek Stepan has one goal and three helpers in his last 10 games. Rookie forward Carl Hagelin contributed only one assist in 10 contests to end the 2011-12 campaign.

NOTES

Derek Stepan was fine to play in the team's regular-season finale Saturday despite receiving a knee-on-knee hit from Pittsburgh's Brooks Orpik. He skated in all 82 games in 2011-12. However the Rangers are still waiting on injured blueliners Steve Eminger (ankle) and Michael Sauer (concussion). Eminger is considered day-to-day, while Sauer is out indefinitely. Mats Zuccarello is also out indefinitely after he sustained a fractured wrist on Mar. 23, but he is hoping to return at some point during the playoffs.

New York has utilized defensemen-by-trade John Scott and Stu Bickel on the back end and up front this season, so don't be surprised if they line up at both positions during the opening round.

The Rangers finished with the fifth best penalty kill unit at 86.2 percent, but their power play left a lot to be desired and ended up at 23rd overall.

Jason Spezza, who finished the year in fourth overall in scoring with 84 points, concluded the campaign with five markers and four assists in seven games. Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson also wrapped up the 2011-12 season on the right foot with five goals and four helpers in his last six contests. Erik Karlsson led all NHL defensemen in scoring with a whopping 78 points and he picked up six assists in the final seven games of the year. Milan Michalek had eight points in his past eight contests to record his second career 60-point season.

WHO'S NOT

Colin Greening has found the back of the net one time in his last nine outings and has collected three assists during that span, while Nick Foligno has scored once in his past 12 games and has added five helpers. Sergei Gonchar has been shooting blanks offensively, with just two goals and four points over his past 13 matches.

NOTES

Chris Neil didn't play in the Senators' final game of the regular season, due to an upper-body injury, after he crashed into boards headfirst during a shootout drill last Friday. However, he is expected to be fine to dress in Game 1 on Thursday night. Peter Regin, who hasn't played since Dec. 20, underwent shoulder surgery and he probably won't suit up again until next year.

The final playoff representatives of the Eastern Conference were decided in the last week of the regular season when the Florida Panthers and Washington Capitals outlasted the second-half surge of the Buffalo Sabres, while dropping the Ottawa Senators to the eighth seed in the process.

Of the top eight teams in the East, two teams in particular are major surprises. The Panthers haven't been the in post-season since 2000 and they captured their first Southeast Division title in franchise history in 2011-12. General Manager Dale Tallon and coach Kevin Dineen deserve major kudos for turning the franchise around. The other shocker in the East is the upstart Ottawa Senators, who were also projected to occupy the bottom of the barrel in the NHL standings this year, but enjoyed an excellent year under new bench boss Paul MacLean and ended up with the final spot in the playoffs.

The Senators will face the Eastern Conference champion New York Rangers in the opening round, while the Southeast Division winning Panthers will host the New Jersey Devils. The Boston Bruins will kick off the defense of their Stanley Cup championship against the Washington Capitals in another quarter-final match-up, but the featured series of the first round in the East will see Atlantic Division rivals the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers square off in what should be a bitter and very physical string of contests.

The Rangers were in position to claim the Presidents’ Trophy and home ice advantage throughout the playoffs, had they won their last regular season contest, but they dropped a 4-1 decision to the Capitals to record their third defeat in four matches to end the 2011-12 campaign. The Ottawa Senators, despite being a surprise success this year, also backed their way into the post-season with three straight defeats. Ottawa took three out of four games, head-to-head, against New York this year, which will probably give them some confidence going into game one.

The Senators also have some fire power with the likes of Jason Spezza, Daniel Alfredsson, Milan Michalek and Erik Karlsson in the fold, which gives them an edge over the Rangers' top group of Brad Richards, Marian Gaborik and Ryan Callahan. However, the Blueshirts play a much more defensively sound game led by Vezina Trophy favourite Henrik Lundqvist between the pipes. They finished the year ranked fourth in the league in blocked shots (1338) and have the most among any team competing in the playoffs. In addition to that, the Rangers play a physically imposing style that should force the Senators into mistakes. New York should emerge victorious in six games.

Even though lineups are subject to change on a game-to-game and shift-to-shift basis, below you'll find the projected starting combinations for each team.

Marian Gaborik was held pointless in his last two games, but before that he recorded six goals and added four assists during a six-game scoring streak. Brad Richards has contributed nine points in his past eight contests. Rugged forward Brian Boyle will also enter the post-season on a high note with five markers and two helpers over his last nine contests. Brandon Dubinsky has had a difficult time generating offense all year, but he started to develop a bit of a rhythm down the stretch with eight points in his final 11 appearances of the regular season.

WHO'S NOT

Rangers captain Ryan Callahan has tallied two goals and one assist in his past nine matches, while Derek Stepan has one goal and three helpers in his last 10 games. Rookie forward Carl Hagelin contributed only one assist in 10 contests to end the 2011-12 campaign.

NOTES

Derek Stepan was fine to play in the team's regular-season finale Saturday despite receiving a knee-on-knee hit from Pittsburgh's Brooks Orpik. He skated in all 82 games in 2011-12. However the Rangers are still waiting on injured blueliners Steve Eminger (ankle) and Michael Sauer (concussion). Eminger is considered day-to-day, while Sauer is out indefinitely. Mats Zuccarello is also out indefinitely after he sustained a fractured wrist on Mar. 23, but he is hoping to return at some point during the playoffs.

New York has utilized defensemen-by-trade John Scott and Stu Bickel on the back end and up front this season, so don't be surprised if they line up at both positions during the opening round.

The Rangers finished with the fifth best penalty kill unit at 86.2 percent, but their power play left a lot to be desired and ended up at 23rd overall.

Jason Spezza, who finished the year in fourth overall in scoring with 84 points, concluded the campaign with five markers and four assists in seven games. Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson also wrapped up the 2011-12 season on the right foot with five goals and four helpers in his last six contests. Erik Karlsson led all NHL defensemen in scoring with a whopping 78 points and he picked up six assists in the final seven games of the year. Milan Michalek had eight points in his past eight contests to record his second career 60-point season.

WHO'S NOT

Colin Greening has found the back of the net one time in his last nine outings and has collected three assists during that span, while Nick Foligno has scored once in his past 12 games and has added five helpers. Sergei Gonchar has been shooting blanks offensively, with just two goals and four points over his past 13 matches.

NOTES

Chris Neil didn't play in the Senators' final game of the regular season, due to an upper-body injury, after he crashed into boards headfirst during a shootout drill last Friday. However, he is expected to be fine to dress in Game 1 on Thursday night. Peter Regin, who hasn't played since Dec. 20, underwent shoulder surgery and he probably won't suit up again until next year.

Ottawa's special teams probably won't overwhelm the Rangers after the club finished 11th with the man advantage and 20th on the penalty kill.

Boston Bruins (2) vs. Washington Capitals (7)

The defending Cup champion Bruins will face off against a largely disappointing Washington squad in the opening round of the playoffs. The Capitals were tabbed as a pre-season favorite in many circles to represent the East in the Stanley Cup Finals, but they barely qualified for the postseason and have major question marks going into Game 1.

Washington hasn't received the type of production one would expect from star player Alex Ovechkin, following a career-low of 65 points in 78 games. Former offensive dynamo Mike Green has struggled to stay healthy the past two seasons and suited up in a mere 32 in 2011-12, while top center Nicklas Backstrom missed 40 contests this year with a concussion. The Capitals may be forced to start Braden Holtby when the series begins after Tomas Vokoun (groin) and Michal Neuvirth (lower body) completed the year on the sidelines.

The Bruins are still a difficult opponent for any team in the playoffs despite their erratic play at times during this past season. The team features several versatile players that can forecheck, defend and score. In a lot of ways, they play the way that current Washington bench boss Dale Hunter wants his club to play. Ovechkin has enjoyed plenty of statistical success in the playoffs, with 50 points in 37 games, but he hasn't faced a shutdown rearguard like Zdeno Chara before and that should keep the Capitals in check. Look for the Bruins to defeat the Capitals in six games.

Sophomore sensation Tyler Seguin has generated seven points in his last seven games, while Patrice Bergeron has accounted for seven in his past six. Their linemate Brad Marchand has also picked up his play down the stretch with five markers and 10 points in 12 matches. David Krejci has produced three goals and set up six others over the last seven contests. The Boston captain, Zdeno Chara, has tallied 12 points from the blueline in his past 13 appearances.

WHO'S NOT

Rich Peverley tallied two goals and two assists in the final eight games of the year after missing 19 games with a knee injury. Chris Kelly has been running hot and cold for the majority of the season. He has only one goal and two points in his past seven games following a five-game point streak (three goals, four assists). Milan Lucic has three goals in his last 15 matches, but he has contributed seven assists during that span.

NOTES

Nathan Horton is considered a long shot to play again this year because of post-concussion symptoms. Johnny Boychuk sat out the closing two games of the regular season with a sprained knee, but he is projected to be available for the start of the playoffs. Adam McQuaid is listed as day-to-day with a head/eye ailment. His status for game one is uncertain after he was pulled from last Thursday's match against Ottawa due to precautionary reasons. Number two goaltender Tuukka Rask (abdomen/groin) is progressing in his recovery and could be ready to back up starter Tim Thomas in game one this Thursday. If he isn't able to suit up then Anton Khudobin will take his place on the active roster, as Marty Turco isn't eligible to play in the post-season.

Alex Ovechkin's stock plummeted for most of the year, but he recaptured some of his past form down the stretch with 11 goals and three helpers coming in his last 13 games. The play of fellow Russian winger Alexander Semin also came under the microscope in 2011-12, but he stepped up at the end of the regular season as well with 10 points in nine contests.

WHO'S NOT

Troy Brouwer will enter postseason play having not scored a goal in 16 consecutive matches. He has chipped in a mere three assists over that period. His physicality will be counted upon against the Bruins, but he'll also have to produce something offensively if the Capitals want to stage an upset. Washington will also need much more from their offensive blueliners Mike Green, who has only one assist in 22 contests since returning to the lineup from sports hernia surgery, and Dennis Wideman, who amassed 46 points this year but recorded just one goal and one assist in his last 12 games.

NOTES

Tomas Vokoun is out indefinitely with a troublesome groin and Michal Neuvirth wasn't able to put any weight on his left leg after getting injured last Thursday against Florida. If Neuvirth isn't ready to return from his lower-body injury in time for game one then the number one job in goal will go to Braden Holtby and Dany Sabourin may rejoin the team to serve as his understudy. Defenseman John Erskine hasn't played since Feb. 12 because of a lower-body injury and is currently on the team's injured reserve list.

Coach Dale Hunter will probably begin the post-season with veterans Jeff Halpern and Mike Knuble as healthy scratches, but they will probably see action before the first round is over. Jeff Schultz could also draw into the lineup over rookie Dmitry Orlov if he has trouble handling the big bodies of the Bruins.

The Capitals had trouble killing penalties in the regular season and concluded the year as the 21st ranked unit. Their power play was 18th overall but it should improve with Backstrom and Green back in the fold and Ovechkin heating up again.

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (5)

In what will probably be the marquee match-up of the first round, the Battle of Pennsylvania will be a hotly contested and punishing series. The war of words between coaches and players started on April 1st and it carried over into last week. We don't expect it to die down in the post-season.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are viewed as heavy Stanley Cup favorites due to the scoring prowess of Art Ross Trophy winner Evgeni Malkin, who led the league with 109 points, and 40-goal scorer James Neal. They also just happen to have the best player in the game, Sidney Crosby, back healthy and an outstanding offensive defender in Kris Letang. The Penguins boast depth at the forward position that teams would kill to have and Philadelphia is no slouch in that department either. The Flyers will count on contributions from offensive catalyst Claude Giroux, scrappy scorers Scott Hartnell and Wayne Simmonds and former Penguin Jaromir Jagr.

However, the biggest question mark for the Flyers going into round one is Ilya Bryzgalov, who has submitted a roller coaster year during his first season with the organization in 2011-12. Which version of the goalie will show up when four losses sends the team into the off-season? The Penguins have the luxury of sending out Stanley Cup winner Marc-Andre Fleury and that is why they get the edge over Philadelphia in a clash of the two most prolific offenses in the NHL. The Flyers will probably take the series to the distance, but the Penguins win in seven.

Pascal Dupuis speaks to the depth of the Penguins because his impressive 17-game scoring spree, that saw him amass 10 goals and 12 assists to end the regular season didn't get much recognition. Sidney Crosby was a point-producing machine after he got back in the lineup for the second time this campaign. He racked up six markers and 19 helpers over 14 contests. Evgeni Malkin also scored with regularity down the stretch with 28 points (12 goals, 16 assists) in his past 15 games.

WHO'S NOT

Tyler Kennedy has tallied three markers and five points in his last 10 matches and he scored a mere 11 goals on the season after netting 21 a year ago.

NOTES

The Penguins didn't have James Neal (lower body), Steve Sullivan (lower body) nor defenseman Matt Niskanen (upper body) in the lineup for the final two games of the season, but all of them are day-to-day and should be ready for game one on Wednesday night. Ben Lovejoy hasn't played since March 25th due to knee surgery and the initial timetable for his return was set for three to four weeks, so he likely won't be available in the opening round.

Wayne Simmonds registered six goals and one assist during a five-game span before going pointless in the final two contests of the regular season. In 82 games, Simmonds established career-highs in goals (28) and points (49) in his first year with the Flyers. Jakub Voracek also concluded the year on a roll with four goals and six helpers over seven games. Claude Giroux posted seven points in his last three appearances prior to sitting out the final match of the 2011-12 campaign because of a cold.

WHO'S NOT

Scott Hartnell enjoyed an outstanding year, but he slowed down during March and concluded the season with nine points in 20 contests. Rookie forward Matt Read also witnessed a dip in his production down the stretch. He recorded six goals and three helpers in his past 19 games.

NOTES

Daniel Briere has proven to be a great playoff performer over his career, with 96 points in 97 games, but it's unclear when he'll be able to return from an upper-back contusion. James van Riemsdyk isn't expected to participate in the opening round due to a broken foot that required surgery to repair in early March. Defenseman Andrej Meszaros isn't projected to return from a procedure on his back until at least round two of the post-season. Tom Sestito hasn't played since Feb. 16 and isn't expected to return anytime soon from a groin injury, while Chris Pronger won't suit up again this year because of post-concussion syndrome.

The Flyers were 17th on the penalty kill this season, so it would benefit them to stay disciplined against the Penguins’ highly skilled power play, but with the intensity this series is expected to generate that may be easier said than done. The good news for the Flyers is that the same can be said of the Penguins because Philadelphia's power play finished 2011-12 in sixth place.

Florida Panthers (3) vs. New Jersey Devils (6)

As previously mentioned, the Panthers haven't been in the playoffs since 2000 and that year they just happened to face New Jersey in the opening round. The Devils dispatched Florida in four straight games and despite the Cats having the higher seed it's hard to imagine this series going much differently. In another ironic twist, New Jersey coach Pete DeBoer will be back in the Sunshine State for game one just a few days after he was fired by the Panthers a year ago.

Both franchises experienced sensational bounce back seasons, but they were polar opposites of one another down the stretch. Florida backed into the post-season by winning once in their final six games, while the Devils surged to the finish with six consecutive victories. The Panthers were also buoyed by a league-leading 18 overtime/shootout losses, but that won't do them any favors in the playoffs. New Jersey wins this series in five.

Tomas Fleischmann picked up seven goals and seven assists in 14 games prior to going scoreless in the team's last two regular-season meetings. Kris Versteeg snapped an eight-game scoreless slide by generating five points in his past five contests to end the year.

WHO'S NOT

Stephen Weiss has scored one goal and one assist in seven games, while Brian Campbell has also sagged down the stretch with four helpers over his last 10 matches. Sean Bergenheim didn't pot a goal in any of his final 10 contests of 2011-12 and he contributed just one assist over that time.

NOTES

Jack Skille, who underwent shoulder surgery on Mar. 19, isn't slated to play again this season, while the same is expected of Matt Bradley, who hasn't played since Feb. 19 because of a concussion.

The Panthers can send out role players Jarred Smithson, Mike Santorelli or Kris Barch if they feel the need to alter their lineup, but those players will probably begin the series in the press box. Jose Theodore may have lost his starting job for the beginning of the post-season, to backup Scott Clemmensen after he struggled mightily down the stretch.

Florida's penalty kill ranked near the bottom of the league at 25th overall, which should be a concern going into the playoffs. On the flip side of the equation, their power play was the seventh best in the NHL.

Ilya Kovalchuk has generated seven goals and five assists in his last 11 games going into the playoffs, while Zach Parise has accounted for three goals and four helpers in eight contests. Patrik Elias capped off 2011-12 with a five-game point streak that saw him pick up eight points. Johan Hedberg will provide the Devils with an excellent safety net for Martin Brodeur in the postseason. Hedberg rounded out the season with four straight victories and allowed only two goals over that time. He hasn't lost in regulation is his past seven outings (6-0-1).

WHO'S NOT

Rookie forward Adam Henrique has one goal in his last 25 games. He collected 12 assists during that period, but his goal slump halted him at 16 markers on the year. Travis Zajac is still trying to find his game after dealing with an Achilles tendon issue throughout the 2011-12 campaign. He posted one goal and two assists in seven matches after he returned in late March during his second comeback of the year. Marek Zidlicky was acquired from Minnesota to add some offensive punch to the Devils' blueline, but he supplied the team with just two goals and six helpers in 22 games.

NOTES

Anton Volchenkov (illness) and David Clarkson (lower body) are expected to be alright to play in the opening contest of the playoffs after being rested down the stretch. Jacob Josefson sustained a non-displaced fracture of his wrist on Apr. 3 and is projected to miss four-to-six weeks. Henrik Tallinder has been sidelined since Jan. 17 with a blood clot in his leg and he is considered doubtful to play at all in the post-season.

With Volchenkov slated to be back in the lineup for Game 1 it will be interesting to see of coach Dineen decides to scratch rookie Adam Larsson. The fourth line of the Devils could also see some tinkering going into the playoff opener.

New Jersey set a post-expansion NHL record in penalty kill efficiency this past season with an 89.58 percent success rate. The previous mark was held by the Dallas Stars in 1999-2000 when they posted a rating of 89.25 percent. The Devils top-ranked penalty kill also scored a league-leading 15 shorthanded goals. New Jersey's power play finished in the 14th overall spot.